


Graduation Day

by LanaSerra, spandwiches



Series: 300cc [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Discussion of drug use (in passing), Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Established Clare/Kaia, Established Dorothy Baum/Charlie Bradbury, Gen, Graduation, Graduation Speech, Poetry, Valedictorian Speech, good advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 13:05:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22841212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LanaSerra/pseuds/LanaSerra, https://archiveofourown.org/users/spandwiches/pseuds/spandwiches
Summary: It's graduation day, and despite the Poets leaving one last message on 300cc, it's Chalie who has the last word.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dorothy Baum/Charlie Bradbury, Kaia Nieves/Claire Novak
Series: 300cc [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1596685
Comments: 22
Kudos: 116





	Graduation Day

**Author's Note:**

> As ever, thanks to the fabulous Ms.[EllenOfOz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllenOfOz/pseuds/EllenOfOz) for Beta'ing this timestamp for us, it's honestly way better than it would have been without her words of wisdom.
> 
> We are aware that this one is both short, and unusually SAFE FOR WORK (I know! Right? Who knew we had it in us?), but fear not. There's more to come.

**Saturday, May 16th - Charlie**

_To everyone who graduates today_  
_Who saw the play and watched us grow_  
_More in love with every line_  
_Each poem even more sublime_  
_Know that we are proud to be _  
_Your poets laureate, for all to see._

_No matter where we go in life_  
_We will walk it hand in hand_  
_Because I chose him and he chose me_  
_And so our joy blooms endlessly_.  
_All because of guts and skill_  
_And a little play called Free Will_

_But now the final curtain falls_  
_And we have come to say adieu,_  
_So for those we know and those we don’t_  
_We’d like to leave you with this quote_  
_To Believe in what is there within you:_  
_“Be brave. Take risks. Speak freely. Be true.”_

_May these words inspire you as they did me_  
_ As their wisdom lives on through 300cc._

– Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak

Dean had refused to wear a tie.

At least he tried to refuse until the Singer-Harvells had brought out the big guns—Castiel. 

Charlie watched Castiel fixing Dean’s tie as the graduates were getting into alphabetical order before the ceremony. She was over with the B’s laughing at her friend’s expense, but Dean never looked up, too besotted with the man in front of him to pay her any mind. Still, she had to give him credit for the Led Zeppelin t-shirt he was rocking under all of that pomp and circumstance.

Dean and Cas would actually be super annoying if they weren’t so fucking cute, Charlie mused as she turned her attention back to her phone to re-read the poem they had posted an hour earlier. It was beautiful and fitting, as always. And naturally, it got everyone talking about the two of them all over again. 

Charlie rolled her eyes. This day was supposed to be about everyone graduating and their mutual success, not just Dean and Cas. Though she did have to concede that their love story had played a role in the lives of many of the people in the line. And hey, never let it be said that Charlie Bradbury didn’t provide the content people wanted. She sighed and navigated back to her speech and added another line, or two...

***

A half hour later they were all in their seats and doing their best not to fall asleep as yet another guest speaker they’d never heard of got up to drone on about Responsibilities, and to encourage them to give back to KCU (namely, give them yet more money) in appreciation for what the school had done for them. Charlie made a quiet noise of contempt. Most of her peers were walking away with huge student loans that might take them years if not decades to pay off, and here they were being asked for yet more? The hubris!

She was pulled from her musings by the voice of the Chancellor, shocked that she had nearly missed her cue.

“.... by our very own Valedictorian, Charlene Bradbury.”

Charlie cringed at the use of her full name, but quickly made her way up to the stage and across to the podium, hoping her face hadn’t turned the same color as her hair. She shook the Chancellor’s hand, in a show of thanks (she actually thought the man was a misogynistic megalomaniac), before turning to face the gathered crowd. 

“Thank you, Chancellor Roman.” She gave him a nod that was more of a dismissal than it was a thank you, before she took a breath and looked out at her friends and their families.

“Sup… People!” Charlie grinned into the mike. Those that knew her, and let’s be honest, a large portion of the graduating class did, cheered at the modified version of her signature greeting. It was a damn good way to start the beginning of the end, if she said so herself. And she did.

“We’ve had one hell of a year haven’t we?” she asked rhetorically and the crowd cheered again. Professor Mills hid her smile behind her hand and Professor MacLeod giggled, while Professor Crowley simply scowled. 

“And this is only the beginning. Sure, today might represent the end of a period of time, but really it’s the kicking off point for the rest of our lives. We came to KCU to learn, to grow, get a good job” she added behind her hand, to quiet laughter from the audience. “And to gain new experiences that we could otherwise not have had. 

"There are many such experiences that I’m sure the Chancellor and faculty would want me to talk about, and would want us to celebrate here today. But University is about so, _so_ much more than the academics we pursued and the skills that we’ve mastered in order to be successful in our chosen fields. 

"We’re here today as examples of people who stretched outside of their comfort zones, who moved away from home, who joined a team or a club or a play. People who tried something new, who became independent...ish adults. Although some more successfully than others, amirite?” 

There were a few chuckles and some knowing smiles. And… she still had everyone’s attention. Sweet.

“Maybe some of you pulled your first all nighter here at KCU—while studying or writing a paper due the next day—or maybe you had to learn how to share your personal space with strangers who either became your nemeses or your besties for life.”

She panned across her audience and caught Ash playfully knuckling his Freshman roommate, Zeke’s, hair. They had hated each other right up until the point where they’d started playing Halo together and had realized that maybe they had enough in common that a year of living in close quarters wouldn’t be impossible. They’d even ended up sharing a house together along with a few of the other boys from their corridor the following year. 

Charlie smiled at the memory and glanced down at her notes to get back on track. "So yeah, KCU is more than just a school. More than just a place. It’s a home of sorts, one that can’t be denied or erased. It is a place unlike any other we will experience for the rest of our lives. I mean, where else are you going to find people walking around in their pjs talking about the transient nature of the human condition? (Yes, I’m looking at you Garth, nice suit by the way, although I’m sad you don’t have your bunny slippers on today).”

Garth beamed at her, pleased at the acknowledgement and gave a little wave. 

“Or you pass by your favourite greenspace on campus only to find that a car has been meticulously constructed around a tree overnight?”

There was some cheering and some high fiving at the car comment. The engineering grads were proud of themselves. Charlie had picked Dean out of the crowd early on, he was grinning along with the rest of them, even though she knew he hadn’t participated in that particular stunt. 

“University is about taking leaps of faith, about discovering who you really are. Maybe it’s given you the courage to stand out when you otherwise would have stayed quiet, or listened when you otherwise would have spoken. Maybe it taught you time management skills so that you could actually fit studying and classes in between all the partying and sleeping you were doing. Or maybe just how to relax and just not take yourself so seriously.”

Charlie knew that this definitely applied to her. People she’d graduated high school with wouldn’t recognize the Charlie graduating today. Sure, she was still stupid smart and could charm her way into a straight girl’s panties, but now days she did it publically with a grin, rather than blushing furiously while hiding away in her mom’s basement. She took a breath and continued.

“Perhaps you joined a stage production that taught you about the power of free will, profound bonds, and not giving up on others. Possibly you found a community—or helped to create one—of like minded people who share your passions and values.” 

Charlie paused to make eye contact with a number of _Free Will’s_ cast and crew, many of whom were in the audience as well as in the graduating class. They all beamed back at her before smiling to each other, pride and joy reflected back across every face. 

“You might have learned a new life skill, given up a bad habit, or simply got swept up in the great 300cc Love Story of 2019 like the rest of us!”

People cheered and leaned across each other to try and pat Dean on the back. His face was flushed bright red but he was smiling. After all, his gaze was soft and warm, and unerringly directed at Castiel who was sitting in the stands gazing lovingly back, despite the fact that many of the cast and crew of _Free Will_ was cheering and reaching for him as well. 

“I know and love our Poets Laureate as well as or better than pretty much everyone here—and like to think I take at least some credit in setting that ship sailing—so believe me when I say that—as much as we love these two—their story is everybody’s story. Each of us is the main character in our own lives and not just the side characters in theirs.”

Charlie held Dean’s eyes for a moment before finding Castiel’s in the crowd. They nodded and smiled back at her. 

“You are the author of your own life and your own story, so be yourself, and don’t don’t let others compromise who you are. I am sure our poets would agree with me when I say: don’t let anything stop you from speaking your truth, and being heard by those that matter to you the most. However you need to get it done, whatever medium you choose for your message, just do it, express yourself.” 

Charlie paused, and then grinned.

"Because you know what’s better than endlessly pining after what you want? Actually going after it.”

Everyone cheered, Dean even whistled. Charlie’s smile widened even further and she continued:

“I’m not saying that you will get everything you want, or that there won’t be bumps in the road. And remember kids, consent is always sexy! But if you’re really, really lucky, you might just get what you want. And for some of us, that has happened during our time here at KCU.” 

Her gaze shifted from Dean to Castiel to Kaia and Claire, holding hands in their seats in the stands, before finally landing on Dorothy. Charlie her smile turned soft as she waved at her girlfriend, who returned her smile and wave filling Charlie with warmth and love and a burst of energy she funneled into making it through the rest of her speech. 

“However you spent your time here, know that it wasn’t wasted—even if, more often than not, you were! (Sorry, Professors!). Because the experiences you had here and the certain set of skills you picked up—be they social or organizational, literary or mathematical—you will use for the rest of your life. They are a badge of honor that you fought hard to earn, so wear them proudly as you go out into the world.”

Charlie paused for dramatic effect and everyone sat even taller in their seats, fully awake and paying attention. 

“I know you’re all getting pretty antsy to go party so I’ll leave you with these wise words brought to you by our Poets Laureate: Be brave, Take Risks. Speak freely. Be true.”

She stepped back as everyone cheered and reached out to Dean and Cas again. Once the cheering had died down, Charlie moved back up to the podium once more, pretending that she hadn’t noticed the Chancellor standing up to collect her. He was always trying to be the center of attention, but this was her time to shine, and anyway, she wasn’t quite done.

“Adventure is out there—go get it! Oh, and just in case there was any doubt, I am Ironman. Later, Bitches!”

The noise in the auditorium was defining—the cheers, whoops and clapping drowning out any gasps of shock from parents or disgruntled grunts from faculty—as the graduating class and the majority of the audience stood up applauding. She’d done it: been brave, taken risks, spoken freely and—most of all—been true. And it felt glorious.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to subscribe to the series [series](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1596685) so as to not miss any upcoming additional timestamps!
> 
> You can find us on Tumblr: [LanaSerra](https://lanaserra.tumblr.com/) and [Spandwiches](Misha%20Made%20Me%20\(but%20I%20was%20open%20to%20persuassion\)). Come say Hi, we are very friendly. At least, LanaSerra is. I'm rather absent, but not in an unfriendly way. Grin.
> 
> \- Span


End file.
